The helicopter crash in the Hudson River on Thursday killed a Spanish family of five members, including three children and the pilot. Agustín Escobar, the president of the Spanish branch of the technology company Siemens, died in the horrific crash along with his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children, aged 4, 5 and 11. Photos taken by the New York Helicopter Tour on social media show the family posing on a helipad before embarking on their trip, and one picture is from inside the chopper.

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The crash happened at around 3:15 pm on Thursday. The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV took off from the Wall Street Heliport and circled near the Statue of Liberty. It then flew up to the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge at about 1000 feet. It was then seen going down closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson.

Also Read: Hudson River Crash: Victims, the prime suspect and WHAT exactly happened? 5 key questions answered

Witnesses said they saw the chopper "split into half". Another man reported hearing a loud sonic boom. The reason behind the crash is not known. A video of the incident showed the helicopter sinking into the water.

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The Spanish family had reached New York only a day back from Barcelona. The National Transportation Safety Board has initiated a probe into the deadly incident.

Who was Agustín Escobar?

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Agustín Escobar was the President and CEO of Siemens in Spain and was appointed to the position in 2022. He was also the CEO of Siemens Mobility Southwest Europe. The former head of Siemens' Spanish arm, Miguel Ángel López, called Escobar "key" to the company's success in a press release at the time.

Also Read: Video shows exact moment helicopter broke apart mid-air and fell from sky directly into Hudson River

"With Agustín Escobar, we have the best possible successor to lead, from now on, the company in Spain. In recent years, his work has been key to Siemens' success in the field of mobility and transport," López said.

He had previously served as the CEO of Siemens Mobility Spain. He also served as the vice president of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain.

He had a degree in industrial engineering from Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid. Escobar's time in the corporate world was mainly centred on the energy sector. Escobar had over 25 years of international experience in the energy and transportation sectors and had worked in the United States, Latin America, and Spain.

He served as CEO of the Energy Management Division and the Infrastructure & Cities Sector in Latin America from 2014 to 2018. For two years, from 2012 to 2014, he was CEO of the Infrastructure & Cities Sector.